Electronic pin ball

ABSTRACT

A unit for converting a keypad operated electronic pinball game to a mechanically operated pinball machine includes a housing configured and dimensioned to enclose a keypad. The keypad has keys specific to functions of starting and stopping an electronic pinball game kicking a “ball”, flipping the ball and tilting the machine to end a turn. Mechanisms are provided adapted to engage individual of the keys, and knobs extending out of the housing and connected to the mechanisms, permit the keys to be operated by manipulation of the knobs. Preferably the housing includes a base extending beneath the keypad and a cover portion hingedly mounted to the base, but constructed to permit sliding movement of the cover with respect to the base. A wedge mounted in the cover portion is adapted to engage the spacer bar of the keypad when the housing is moved forward with respect to the base, which serves to actuate the tilt function.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLYSPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0001] Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Much software is available for playing pinball type gameselectronically. For the most part, these different games are controlledby the same keys of the keypad, keys specific to functions of startingand stopping the pinball game, kicking a “ball”, flipping the ball andtilting the machine to end a turn. In playing the game, the keys aresimply depressed. Entertaining as these games may be, they lack theexcitement of the manually operated pinball machine where movement ofthe machine can cause tilting, and where the manipulation of the buttonsor knobs adds excitement to the play.

[0003] One of the objects of this invention is to restore some of theexcitement of the play of a mechanical or manually operated pinballmachine, but utilizing the software of an electronic pinball machine.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In accordance with this invention, generally stated, a unit isprovided for converting a keypad operated electronic pinball game to amechanically operated pinball machine. The unit comprises a housingconfigured and dimensioned to enclose a keypad, the keypad having keysspecific to functions of starting and stopping an electric pinball game,kicking a “ball”, flipping the ball, and tilting the machine to end aturn. Mechanisms adapted to engage individual of the keypad keys areconnected to knobs (which term is used herein also to include buttons)extending out of the housing. The appropriate keys are then operated bymanipulating the knobs. In the embodiment shown, the housing is made upof a base which extends under the keypad and a cover which encloses thekeypad. The cover is hinged to the base in such a way as to permit thecover to be slid forwardly against the bias of a spring, in whichposition a wedge mounted in the cover portion engages the spacer bar ofthe keypad to register a “tilt” and end the turn. The movement of themechanisms in response to manipulation by the knobs is limited topreclude damage to the keys or keypad. The knob by which the ball iskicked to begin with, is on a rod which can be pulled in a directionaway from the housing, against the bias of a spring, and released, muchin the way a standard shooter of a mechanical pinball machine isoperated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] In the drawing,

[0006]FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a unit of this invention;

[0007]FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the unit shown in FIG. 1 openedto display a keypad and a base;

[0008]FIG. 3 is top plan view;

[0009]FIG. 4 is view in front elevation;

[0010]FIG. 5 is view in rear elevation;

[0011]FIG. 6 is a view in end elevation, viewed from left to right ofFIG. 3;

[0012]FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of a cover portion of the housing inopen position;

[0013]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 10-10of FIG. 3;

[0014]FIG. 9 is a fragmentary bottom plan view corresponding to FIG. 7with a ball shooter or kicker knob pulled out against a spring;

[0015]FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 3;and

[0016]FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a cove portion ofthe housing in a partly opened position, above a keyboard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] Referring now to the drawings for one illustrative embodiment ofunit of this invention, reference numeral 1 indicates a unit having abase 3 and a cover 5. The cover 5 has a top wall 6, which carries astart button 7, a stop button 9, and a pause button 11, and a front wall12, from which a ball kicker or projector knob 14 extends.

[0018] The cover has a left side wall 13 in which a flipper button 16 ismounted, and a right side wall 15 in which a flipper button 17 ismounted. The cover also has a back wall 19, along a bottom edge of whichhinge pins 24 are mounted. The hinge pins 24 extend into and through aslot 22 in a hinge plate 21 fastened to an upper surface of the base 3.A helical tension spring 26 is mounted at one end on a bracket 27secured to the base 3, and at its other end, is secured to a hinge pin24, so that when the cover 6 is pushed forward against the bias of thespring 26, the hinge pin 24 slides in the slot 22, and when pressure isreleased from the cover, the spring 26 restores the cover to theposition shown in FIG. 10.

[0019] A tilt wedge 30, which, in this embodiment consist of twowedge-shaped legs, is secured to a crossbeam 32 extending between andsecured to the side walls 13 and 15 and positioned to engage a spacebar101 of a keypad 100 resting on the base 3 when the cover is moved to itsforward position. In the standard electronic pinball machine, thespacebar serves to actuate the tilt function.

[0020] A start arm 40, operated by the start button 7, has a finger 41that engages an “enter” key 102 of the keypad 100. A springy stop arm43, secured at one end to the underside of the top 6, is connected to bemoved against its bias by the stop button 9, and is provided at the endopposite the end at which it is secured, with a finger 44 which, whendepressed, engages an “escape” key 104 of the keypad 100.

[0021] A kicker rod 48 is connected at one end to the kicker knob 14.The rod 48 is journaled in a sleeve bearing 49 carried by the crossbeam32. At its end opposite the knob 14, the kicker rod 48 is pivotallyconnected to a telescoping lever arm 50, at a place a short distancefrom an outer end of the arm 50, leaving a short extension 57. The leverarm 50 is received slideably in a tubular arm portion 51 that ispivotally mounted on the crossbeam 32 on a pivot pin 52, as shown inFIGS. 7 and 9, while leaving an outer end portion 53 beyond the pivotpin 52 on the side of the pivot pin 52 away from the lever arm 50. Theend portion 53 is pivotally connected to an actuator lever 58, which hasa finger 61 positioned to engage a down key 103 when the knob 14 isretracted.

[0022] The arm 50, hence the rod 48, is biased to a position in whichthe kicker knob 14 is against the outer surface of the front wall 12, asshown in FIG. 7, by a spring 56, one end of which is mounted on theextension 57, and the other end of which is mounted on a spring bracket55, secured to the back wall 19. As shown particularly in FIG. 7,normally the spring 56 biases the lever arm 50 and 51 to move anactuator lever 58 away from a position in which finger 61 engages a“down” key 106 on the keypad 100. The actuator lever 58 is hingedlymounted on a pintle 60 supported by hinge bosses 59 mounted on thecrossbar 32. When the ball kicker knob 14 is pulled out to the positionshown in FIG. 9, the actuator lever 58 is moved to the position shown inFIG. 11, in which the finger 61 engages the down key 106.

[0023] Flipper buttons 16 and 17 are made in such a way as to be biasedoutwardly, to the positions shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, but to permit theirmovement inboardly. The button 17 is connected to a flipper button rod67, which, as shown particularly in FIG. 8, is connected at its endopposite the button 17 to a dogleg lever 68 by means of a pivot pin 70.The dogleg lever is pivoted by a pivot pin 69 to the crossbar 32. Afinger 71 projects from the end of the dogleg lever 68. Between thefinger 71 and the pivot pin 69, a spring 72 is connected to the lever 68at one end and, at another end, to a bracket 73 secured to the undersideof the cover top wall 6. The finger 71 is positioned to engage the righthand “shift” key 105 of the keypad 100. The length of the rod 67 isdictated by the distance from the edge of the keypad across the one setof keys to the shift key on the right side.

[0024] The flipper button 16 is connected to a short “rod” 77, which ispivotally connected to an angled leg 78, pivotally mounted on thecrossbar 32. A spring 79, mounted at one end on a bracket secured to thetop wall 6, is connected at its other end to a reach of the angled leg78 on the opposite side of the pivot from the rod 77. The inboard end ofthe angled leg 78 is positioned to engage the left shift key 106, whenthe flipper button 16 is pressed inboardly.

[0025] A pause button rod 84 is positioned to engage the “P” key 107 ofthe keypad 100, when the pause button 11 is depressed.

[0026] As has been apparent, in the conventional electronic pinballgames, the “enter” key is depressed to start the game. The “escape” keystops the game. Shift keys serve as the flipper keys. The “P” keyactuates the “pause” function. The “down” key serves the “kicker”function.

[0027] The operation of the device is self-evident. By manipulating thevarious knobs and buttons, the player experiences much of the excitementof a conventional manually operated pinball machine. This isaccomplished without any additional electronics or any modification ofsoftware.

[0028] Numerous variations in the construction of the device of thisinvention, within the scope of the appended claims will occur to thoseskilled in the art in the light of the foregoing description. Merely byway of example, as has been indicated, the locations of the variousfunction keys may be the changed for different games, and the mechanismscan be adjusted to accommodate them. As is evident, the travel of thefingers or other mechanisms by which the keys of the keypad aredepressed is limited, as by the throw of the lever arms 68 and 78, andof the actuator 58. Other stop means can be utilized to limit thedistance through which the various links and levers can move. These aremerely illustrative.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:
 1. A unit for converting a keypad operatedelectronic pinball machine to a mechanically operated pinball machine,comprising a housing configured and dimensioned to enclose a keypad,said keypad having keys specific to functions of starting and stoppingan electronic pin ball game, kicking a “ball”, flipping said ball, andtilting the machine to end a turn; mechanisms adapted to engage selectedindividual of said keys, and knobs extending out of said housing andconnected to said mechanisms, whereby said keys are operated bymanipulation of said knobs to engage keys that control starting,stopping, kicking and flipping.
 2. The unit of claim 1 including a pausebutton mounted in said housing and manipulatable from outside saidhousing to depress a key that produces a pause.
 3. The unit of claim 1including a wedge mounted on said housing responsive to sliding movementof said housing relative to said keypad to actuate a “tilt” key.
 4. Theunit of claim 3 wherein said housing includes a base extending beneathsaid keypad, a slotted mounting bracket fixed to said base, a hinge pincarried by a cover portion of said housing and extending into the slotin said mounting bracket for sliding movement of said cover portionrelative to said base, said wedge being carried by said cover portion,and a spring mounted and connected to bias said cover portion toward aposition at which said wedge is disengaged from said tilt key.